"Touchdown'' Toi Jackson stepping to forefront of St. Augustine offense

St. Augustine quarterback Toi Jackson, seen here running against Shaw last season, directed the Purple Knights to a 9-4 record in 2012. (Staff photo by Matthew Hinton, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune.)

Toi Jackson is one of 16 returning starters for the Purple Knights who are intent on winning the school's first state championship in football since 1979. (Photo by Mike Strom, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

St. Augustine quarterback Toi Jackson sees no downside to playing alongside the sometime blinding glare of a supernova.

Soft spoken and gracious, Jackson is unfazed by the fact that his own star quality would be much more heralded if not for the presence of the nation’s top prospect, All-State tailback Leonard Fournette.

“The defense keys on Leonard and that allows other players to stand out,’’ Jackson said in assessing the situation. “Leonard is an outstanding player. He’s very humble. He’s always trying to help everyone become better. He even sometimes tries to help coach me on some things.

“The fact that so many colleges are looking at him, it helps us. It helps us get noticed. So it’s very good to have a leader like Leonard on our team. Leonard is like a brother. All of these guys on this team are like brothers.’’

As a three-year starter, Jackson is the maestro, and an unsung yet dynamic talent, whose role is expected to expand as the talent-rich Purple Knights expand their horizons offensively to heighten pressure on opposing defenses.

The Purple Knights have used this spring to install a run/pass offense popularized by Texas A&M and its Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, “Touchdown’’ Johnny Manziel.

In essence, every play from scrimmage in the Shotgun formation-based offense carries the potential of being a run or pass, and is determined by the reaction of certain defenders.

Enter Toi Jackson.

“We’ve changed our offense this spring and Toi has been very receptive to the changes,’’ St. Augustine Coach Cyril Crutchfield said. “He has stepped up and taken charge. Basically, I can start the call and he can finish it. That tells me he’s ready to step up and be a leader.’’

Opposing defenses, particularly those which are the most fundamentally sound, are put at a disadvantage, primarily because of their own discipline and read-and-react tendencies.

“What happens now,’’ Crutchfield said of the new offense, “is you’re not forced into a bad play.’’

A senior-to-be, Jackson has proven adroit at making the correct decisions and keeping the Knights moving at a heightened, more frenetic pace.

Couple that with Jackson's individual athleticism and that of the skill players surrounding him such as Fournette and wide receivers Marlon Watts and Stanley Morgan, not to mention a roster that projects to have as many as 14 players earn scholarships, and Crutchfield understandably gets pumped up in discussing his team and quarterback’s potential.

“This puts us in better position, because when we go against a fundamentally sound team, they have to go through their reads and in going through their reads it’s going to put them in conflict at some point,’’ he said. “That benefits us. Toi is the guy reading the defender, the ‘conflict guy.’’’

Although a bit undersized, Jackson, 5 feet 9 and 180 pounds, does not yet have the attention of college recruiters, but does possess the throwing ability and 4.6-second speed in the 40 to cause problems for opponents whether or not they are fixated on Fournette.

As a junior, Jackson completed 10-of-155 passes (65.2 percent) for 1,469 yards and 19 touchdowns and was intercepted just three times during the regular season.

Jackson directed the Purple Knights to a 7-3 mark in the regular season and a 9-4 record overall that included a run to the Class 4A state quarterfinals where St. Augustine was eliminated, 28-12, by eventual state champion Karr.

Jackson’s 19 touchdown passes rank as the fifth highest total among returning quarterbacks in the New Orleans area while the three interceptions tie for the fewest.

His 1,469 passing yards ranks eighth among returning quarterbacks, but were compiled using anywhere from 41 to 105 fewer attempts than the seven yardage leaders ranked ahead of him.

During the regular season as a sophomore, Jackson completed, 106-of-108 passes (59.6 percent) for 1,838 yards and 20 touchdowns while he was intercepted just five times en route to earning All-District recognition.

“The things we want to do offensively are going to suit Toi the best since he’s been here,’’ Crutchfield said. “He’s not a straight drop back presence quarterback. He’s limited because of his height. He’s not a power running quarterback. But he’s quick and he’s shifty. He’s very accurate and he has a very strong arm.

Plus, Crutchfield said: “He’s a good decision maker in a game.

“I think he likes the role of everything being predicated on what he decides to do. He feels like he’s been empowered. Basically, it’s like he’s dictating the play.’’

St. Augustine culminated spring drills Wednesday night in a scrimmage at Bogalusa. Fournette, by design, has been withheld from all 10 of the allotted practices as the Knights prepare for a return to Catholic League competition full-time.

“The new offense is going real well,’’ Jackson said. “We’ve caught on real fast. I really like it. I feel as if Coach is comfortable with me running his offense.

“We’re going to play very fast. A lot of teams are going to have difficulty dealing with how fast we play. It’s up to me to set the tempo.’’

Jackson and Fournette are among 16 returning starters who will factor mightily into the Knights’ ascent back into Class 5A competition following two years spent at the 4A level.

St. Aug is seeking its first state championship in football since winning its third in 1979.

“This year we only really have one goal and that’s to win a state championship,’’ Jackson said. “You have to take it one game at a time, but we feel like we have the talent and potential to get there.’’

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Mike Strom can be reached at Mstrom@nola.comor 504.826.3405. Follow him at twitter.com/TheMikeStrom.